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MGR/Derek Mok « Boss DR-770 Dr. Rhythm Drum Machine »
Published on 01/31/04 at 15:00Bought on eBay for $280; I needed a way to record drum tracks without going into a studio.
The sounds you get are very, very realistic; I've done a lot of recordings with this drum machine already and people are always hard-pressed to tell it's a drum machine and not live. Its snare and bass drum sounds are especially impressive; the "natural" kit's snare sound is exactly that. The DR-770 sounds especially organic if you play it as a drum kit rather than using programmed patterns, for a more human touch. Multitracking different parts also allow much more intricate parts to be played.
One thing that you can't get with this drum machine is cymbal sounds. It just doesn't have the complex character of stick hitting metal, and the sustain is poor on all the crash settings. It's also not possible to play a convincing ride part on here.
Good. The pads are velocity sensitive, which means they can lose sensitivity over time, but that's part of the deal.
This is an indispensable tool for the one-man, home-recording musician who doesn't own a drum kit (or can't play one). Granted, the dynamics are probably better on an actual electronic drum kit with pads, but since those run at least $1,000, compared with $200-400 for drum machines, they are out of reach for most casual musicians. The Dr. Rhythm is invaluable in this respect.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
The sounds you get are very, very realistic; I've done a lot of recordings with this drum machine already and people are always hard-pressed to tell it's a drum machine and not live. Its snare and bass drum sounds are especially impressive; the "natural" kit's snare sound is exactly that. The DR-770 sounds especially organic if you play it as a drum kit rather than using programmed patterns, for a more human touch. Multitracking different parts also allow much more intricate parts to be played.
One thing that you can't get with this drum machine is cymbal sounds. It just doesn't have the complex character of stick hitting metal, and the sustain is poor on all the crash settings. It's also not possible to play a convincing ride part on here.
Good. The pads are velocity sensitive, which means they can lose sensitivity over time, but that's part of the deal.
This is an indispensable tool for the one-man, home-recording musician who doesn't own a drum kit (or can't play one). Granted, the dynamics are probably better on an actual electronic drum kit with pads, but since those run at least $1,000, compared with $200-400 for drum machines, they are out of reach for most casual musicians. The Dr. Rhythm is invaluable in this respect.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com